Tag: heart-melting heroes

Here’s something I find amusing:

Valentine’s Day fell on Ash Wednesday this year.

Today is Chinese New Year!

Easter will be on April Fool’s Day.

Can you tell I love reading the calendar?

How was your V-Day? Mine was routine because my hubby, bless his soul, was born without a romance gene. He means well, but the whole “one day of shouting out embarrassing professions of love” just isn’t his style. He likes to say, “I show you how much I love you every day…by working.”

He has a point. I used his tractor to haul the garbage cans to the community dumpster so he didn’t have to–that’s love, right? 😉

But we do have our mushy moments and we mouth, “I love you,” way more often than is probably necessary. (We’re old. We forget.)

I hope you had a lovely day of romance, complete with bling, baubles, and bubbly.

In case you missed it, I’m part of a fun Facebook promotion that runs through the 18th with some of the coolest authors on the planet. Instead of mushy Valentine sayings, we went for direct and honest.

My contribution is Arley McNamara, hero in Love, After All. Still just 99¢ for a few more days.

Have a great weekend of reading! 🙂

Deb

When Summer Nichols inherited half of the Circle W Ranch, she didn’t know her rodeo-riding, bad boy ex-boyfriend came with the deal. But sure enough, Tyler Warren, the man who broke her heart and left her in Marietta years ago, is back and living on the ranch again, claiming he wants no trouble. He’s certainly not back to rekindle their decade ago romance.

Ty only wants what’s rightfully his, and then he’s gone, but not even family secrets and Summer’s deep betrayal can keep him from remembering the good times he had with the preacher’s sweet, beautiful daughter, once upon a time. Summer is more woman than he expected…

They ate quietly, Summer watching Becca take her meal.

And when Tyler was through and the baby was content, he said, “Text me if you remember

something you need in town. I won’t be long. Just getting wood and supplies and then I’ll be back. You want me to get Becca to sleep before I go?”

“No, it’s okay. We’re getting along real well. But if you have any hints about naptime I’m all

ears.”

He grinned. “Are you now? Well, let me see. She likes for you to sing to her, and she likes to be

rocked, but you gotta hold her real tight, tuck her into your body, keep her warm and secure. That should do it. She’s already taken with you. I doubt she’ll give you an iota of trouble.”

She rose from the table, taking up their plates. “Then she’s not too much like her daddy at all.”

“You saying I’m trouble?” He rose from his seat, towering over her.

She backed up a bit, noting the playful gleam in his melt-your-heart eyes. Maybe she shouldn’t

have provoked him, because he was moving like silk now, swooping in, taking the plates out of her hands and setting them on the counter. Warmth spread through her body as his hands wrapped around waist. He tugged her forward and she landed just shy of his chest.

Taking in the teasing smile on his face, she asked, “What are you doing, T-ty?”

He stared at her lips and all rational sense fled her mind. “Showing you the difference between me being good, and me giving you trouble.” And then he bent his head and brought his mouth to hers, claiming her in a kiss that stole vital breath from her lungs.

He tasted like home, the way she’d always remembered, the first boy to ever hold her close and

kiss her like she was treasured. What might have started out as a tease, began to feel like much more. He deepened the kiss, and the powerful melding of their mouths made her forget time and place. He’d been learned in the art of kissing she’d found out later, after kissing a few frogs in her day. When he tucked her into his body, a little squeak rose up from her throat and Tyler took notice, as if he too was lost. He ended the kiss then and stepped back, studying her, the intensity in his eyes revealing too much.

Then he scrubbed his chin. “It seems Becca is more like me than I thought. I’m taken with you,

too. But I’m not here to stir up trouble, Summer. Regardless of what you might think.”

He left her standing by the sink to say goodbye to his daughter. Then the back screen slapped shut and the sound of his boots clicking on the path faded away.

Slowly, her fingers traced over her lips, still burning from his kiss. “You may not be here to

cause me any trouble, Tyler. But you’re doing a fine job of it anyway.”

Charlene Sands is a USA Today Bestselling Author of 35 novels, writing both western and contemporary romance. She’s a lover of all things romantic, especially her bold, rugged, heart-melting “real good men” heroes! She’s the recipient of the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, Cataromance Reviewer’s Choice Award and Romance Times Magazine’s Best Harlequin Desire of 2014! When not writing, she spends time with her “hero” husband, enjoying Pacific Beaches and drinking iced mocha cappuccinos!

Charlene loves to hear from her readers. Drop her a line at www.charlenesands.com or write her at PO. Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308 “LIKE” her at www.Facebook.com/CharleneSandsbooks